


They're Just Books

by amageish



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Comedy, Denial of Feelings, F/F, Internalized Homophobia, Multi, No Actual Homophobic or Queerphobic Language But Futaba's Just Not Ready to Come Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28565133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amageish/pseuds/amageish
Summary: Futaba and Sojiro chat about her ever-expanding collection of girls' love light novels. Sojiro's assumptions about their implications are definitely totally completely baseless.
Relationships: Niijima Makoto/Sakura Futaba, Okumura Haru/Sakura Futaba, Pre-Polythieves - Relationship, Sakura Futaba/Takamaki Ann, Sakura Futaba/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	They're Just Books

**Author's Note:**

> Note that, throughout this fic, Sojiro is (supportively) pushing Futaba towards coming out, which isn't good etiquette. Let people come out in time and on their own terms, especially if you're a parent or guardian or other person in a position of power.

“Futaba?”

“Uh-huh?”

“Can we talk?”

Futaba sighs and sits back in the booth in LeBlanc, leafing through the latest light novel that Sojiro had bought her. She really wants to run off and read it, but Sojiro bought it for her and wanted to chat, so…

“If this is about the Thieves again, then trust me: We’re being totally safe and -”

“It’s not about them. I trust you’ll protect each other.”

“Oh. Well… What’s up then?”

“I was just wondering if you had something to share about these… books.”

“These books? Oh! My light novels? If they’re getting too expensive, then don’t worry - I can download most of them online anyway, I just wanted to support my favorite creators and get a bit of a collection going.”

“Oh, no, business is fine and I’m happy to buy them for you. I was just wondering about their… content.”

Futaba pauses. Their content? They’re…. Oh. Oh no. 

“Look, it’s 20XX, Sojiro! It’s perfectly okay to be gay.”

“I agree!” Sojiro replies. “It’s more than okay and I will love you all the same.”

Futaba bursts out into laughter. She's figured him out now. Crisis adverted.

“Oh, I see where this is going now. Sojiro, Girls’ Love is an obligatory genre of light novels. It’s just a style I like. It doesn’t mean I actually am attracted to women.”

“I know! I’ve just… noticed a motif in the characters?”

“Yeah, yeah, they’re all about love between girls. That’s why it is called ‘Girls’ Love,’ duh.”

“I mean… All of the protagonists are gamers? Who spend most of their time inside their room? Just like you were?”

“Oh, well, sure, but that’s just a standard trope. If the protagonist isn’t familiar with the outside world, then it allows for the narrative to introduce various locations to the reader for the first time… It’s just a tried-and-true formula that allows for cute, if a bit lazy, writing.” 

“Riiight. And, in the first one you ordered, the girl who shows the protagonist the outside world is a blonde model.”

“Yeah?”

“Your friend Ann is a blonde model, right?”

“Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean anything. Come on, Sojiro, who doesn’t want a hot blonde model in their life?”

“So… You are interested in Ann?”

“What! No! You know what I mean… It’s another trope. Just a common motif. The fact I happen to be friends with a very attractive model means nothing.”

“Okay… So, the second one you ordered has a girl who never leaves her house learn about the outside from her high school’s Student Council President.”

“Ugh, you’re going to say that means I like Makoto, aren’t you?”

“I mean… It’s hard not to compare the two… This woman is also a short-haired brunette.”

“Oh, her hair is parted in a completely different way than Makoto’s is! And, again, this is just a common trope. The Student Council President with an icy work-minded exterior and a heart of gold! She learns to relax as she teaches the protagonist to work! They grow as people together! It’s an adorable story. The fact I happen to be friends with a very attractive student council president, again, means nothing...”

“Oh, well, sure… But what about the second most-recent book?”

“Which is?”

“The one about the girl who never leaves her house learn about the outside world from the heiress of a fast-food corporation which she recently inherited after the death of her father.”

“Okay. Okay. I’ll admit! I think that character might have been partially inspired by Haru. That’s why I wanted it, actually. I have to make sure my friend is treated right?”

“And you wanted a physical copy just to make sure?”

“W-well. Yeah! That way, if it's an embarrassing for Haru, then there's one less physical copy out in the world."

“If… If you say so.”

“I do so say! And, besides, I think you’ll find this most recent purchase isn’t like any of the ones before. It doesn't have anything to do with Ann, Makoto or Haru!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah! It’s about a girl who never learns her house learning about the outside world from an Olympic-level gymnast!”

"W-well. That does not sound like Ann, Makoto, or Haru, yes."

"See! Exactly. It's just a genre I like. Nothing more. Nothing less. Now if you excuse me, I'm off to read."

With this debate totally won, Futaba makes like a tree and leafs LeBlanc, her book in hand.

As she goes, Morgana peaks out from the staircase.

“Look, boss, she’ll come out in time… No sense in grilling her about it… And… you can’t understand me anyway. Oh well.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Anyway, remember how the Persona 5 Dancing chereo for "When My Mother Was There" has Futaba get distracted by Makoto's butt (assuming you pick her as a dance partner)? As that happens. This is canon.
> 
> Basically, Futaba is a queer icon.


End file.
